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David Thompson
Real Name: David Matthew Thompson Aliases: '''No Known Aliases '''Wanted For: Murder Missing Since: August 13, 1996 Case Details: Thirty-four-year-old David Thompson is wanted for the murder of his seventy-two-year-old father-in-law, Paul Hertel. Paul was a semi-retired electrical engineer, an active community leader, a devoted husband and father. He was a respected citizen in Richardson, Texas. On August 13, 1996, he planned to spend the day in his yard. However, as he left the house, he was shot twice at point blank range. Thompson became the prime suspect in the murder. Paul's daughter Suzanne met Thompson at an Alcohol Anonymous meeting in 1991. They were married six months later. A month after that, Suzanne was pregnant. At first, she was excited about having a child. However, she soon discovered that Thompson had a dark side, which grew violent as the weeks passed. She hoped that he would calm down once he became a father. However, when their son Forrest was born on June 16, 1992, the situation only got worse. After one particularly violent incident, Suzanne, fearing for her son's safety, moved in with her parents and began divorce proceedings. She was awarded temporary custody of Forrest; Thompson fought it but eventually settled for visitation rights. He made it quite clear that he was not happy with the arrangement. Suzanne feared her son's visits with Thompson. She had heard rumors that he would abduct Forrest and flee. However, she could legally do nothing. During the Labor Day Weekend in 1993, Thompson made good on his threats and abducted Forrest. He left a letter for Suzanne which stated that she wouldn't see her son until he was seventeen. He also stated that she should be "strong" because someday her father would die and then, he asked, "who would she have to cling to?" For ten months, there was no sign of Thompson or Forrest. However, on June 23, 1994, Thompson was arrested in South Carolina. Forrest was reunited his mother. Thompson was stripped of all visitation rights and given ten years probation for interfering with custody. Suzanne's father Paul was convinced that there might be more trouble, possibly targeted at himself. He beliefs apparently came true on August 13, 1996, when he was shot and killed in his front yard. Investigators believe that Thompson cut through a chain link fence in the backyard and waited for Paul to come out of the house. A witness reported seeing Paul meeting with a man resembling Thompson in the backyard. The witness then heard a loud "pop" and saw Paul fall to the ground. He then saw the man raise his arm and point at Paul's head. He then heard another "pop". One day after Paul's funeral, the Hertels received a letter from Thompson saying that he was sorry and was going to kill himself "before taking another human life". Suzanne, however, doesn't believe that; she is convinced that he is still alive. Thompson has been charged with first-degree murder. Police have discovered that before Thompson fled, he bounced checks and maxed out his credit cards on high ticket items that he then resold for cash. According to the police, he may have amassed as much as $12,000. Extra Notes: The case was featured as a part of the May 2, 1997 episode. Results: Captured. Thompson was arrested in under an alias in 1998 in San Diego, California, on a burglary charge, and sentenced to a year in prison. While in custody, authorities discovered Thompson's true identity and charged him with the murder of Paul Hertel. According to one source, the case against Thompson was no-billed. He did serve four years in prison for violating probation on a previous 10-year probated sentence for kidnapping. Thompson is free today, and the case remains open. Sadly, Paul's wife Christine passed away in 2000. Links: * David Thompson on Unsolved Archive * Paul Hertel at Find a Grave ---- Category:Texas Category:1993 Category:1996 Category:Murder Category:Abduction Category:Captured